The bell rings at 7 am. The kids scramble for their things and make a single file line down the corridor. The hallways are chaos while waiting to enter into their rooms. Kids are screaming, pushing, and tattle tailing on their friends. The classrooms are no better. They are out of their seats, visiting other desks, ignoring the teachers, and getting their little hands into anything and everything they can. My patience has run thin this last month but still God has opened my eyes up to so many things. He teaches me about him and his son through the innocence of little children. Through disagreements with my teammates. Also through sitting still and just listening for his voice.
Last week I was stressed. That is not unusual but this specific day was not one of my best. The kids were untamable, uncontrollable, and unrelenting. I raised my voice to the class for the 5th time “Get in your chair! 5…4…3…2…1. They shuffled quickly to their desks and sat in silence. Miss Stephanie was not happy. I wrote in big bold letters “5 min. OFF RECESS. 10 min. OFF RECESS. NO RECESS” at the top of the board. The kids stared anxiously, waiting to see who would dare to speak. As Mr. Carlos began to teach slowly one by one they would start to speak out of turn and get out of their seats. And one by one I would write down their names. Losing minutes off recess was a huge deal to them, but LOSING recess in it’s entirety was devastating. This means they had detention in class with Ms. Stephanie while everyone else played outside PLUS they got a note sent home in their agenda. I don’t know if they feared me more, or the note home. Regardless, fear was quickly instilled in them. One little boy in particular just could not mind the rules. 7.8.9 times I would tell him, “SIT DOWN!” “STAY IN YOUR SEAT!” “BE QUIET!” Finally I addressed him eye to eye. I assured him he would have no recess and he would have a note sent home. The tears started instantly, and he put his head down and sulked in his own self pity. I had zero remorse. Mr. Carlos address him, rubbed his back, and tried to dry his tears. Seeing this turned my hardened heart into mush. I immediately felt sympathy for poor Marcio, for hurting his feelings and embarrassing him.
I asked him to step outside with me, hesitating he grabbed my hand and followed closely behind trying to hide his crocodile tears from the class. With a heavy heart I knelt down on my boney knees at eye level and began to speak. “Marcio, do you know why I took recess from you?” He struggled to find the words and the breath due to exhaustive crying. “And Marcio, do you know why I am sending a note home in your agenda?” He admittedly nodded. I assured him “Marcio I didn’t do those things because I want to, but because I HAVE to.” “I love you, do you know that?” He assured me he knew. I told him ” I want you to have fun at school, but we have rules for a reason, and when you break those rules you have consequences.” “Do you still love me?” I asked. Yes. He said timidly. He gave me a huge long hug and I told him to go wash his face and dry his eyes.
When you speak to a child standing up towering over them you instill fear and authority in them. You emphasize your position and make them inferior to you. But when you get down on there level there is a sense of comfort. You are respecting them as people. Your able to connect with them at their level, hold their hand, and catch their gaze. Marcio did not reciprocate my stern voice and dramatic gestures. He was obedient after I disciplined him with love. When I was able to humble myself to his level, I gained the respect I desired.
Humble comes from the word HUMUS, meaning earth; or brought down low. This is the way Jesus interacts with us. He comes down to our level and meets us in our mess. He gets our attention, disciplines us, and loves us right where we are.
Philippians 2:6-8 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; RATHER he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. and being found in appearance as a man, he HUMBLED himself by being obedient, even to death on a Cross.
Jesus didn’t play the “I’m God” role “I do want I want” He humbled himself, took on human form and came down to earth to meet us where we are. To discipline us and love us like a father does. Just like Marcio, we are disobedient, we ignore God, do our own thing, and get caught up in our own little worlds. Then our loving father sends us Jesus, to come down on our level, to get our attention and discipline us in love. In Hebrews scripture tells us “not to make light of the Lords discipline, to not lose heart when he rebukes you, the Lord disciplines those he loves. It reminds us to “endure hardship as discipline.” He does this for OUR good. 12:11 says “ no disciple is pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however; it produces a harvest.
We need to recognize and appreciate when God is disciplining us. Be grateful that he loves us enough to do so and just doesn’t make us deal with our mess on our own. He is gentle, patient, and always loving. Lets remember that whether we are talking to small children, our peers, coworkers, or teammates we need to come down to their level and love them where they are. Lets be a people that disciplines in love and calls people higher. Not because we want to criticize and condemn, but because we care about the content of their heart and their character and we want to love them the way Jesus did.
